


Growing Up Sucks

by shinelikethestars



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, Future, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, recollections of the past, zayn and liam are mentioned briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 20:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinelikethestars/pseuds/shinelikethestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis and Harry went through the motions of life from the time they met in first grade until the end of high school when they had to part ways and start new lives for themselves. In the end, they reunited with new lives that neither wanted. With a few soft nudges, their lives slowly molded together once again into a sweet bliss and never-ending kisses. This is their story, growing up sucks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Up Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> For the first chapter I made sure to do quite a bit of research. Please correct me if I was wrong with the information in any way. 
> 
> I've had this idea for the past two days and finally decided to write it out and hear feedback on it. I hope you all and enjoy. This has also only been edited by myself so if there are any errors please let me know and I'll be sure to fix those later. 
> 
> Kudos or comments are much appreciated! :)

Louis and Harry were in their late twenties, hand in hand, fingers intertwined. Neither displayed signs of wanting to let go. As they sat in sweet silence on the porch swing, slowly drifting back and forth, they held soft smiles with their eyes closed. They took in the late summer sunset and silently reminisced about their lives together over the many years that they knew one another. Harry thought back to when he first met Louis. Coincidentally, Louis did too.

Louis never resented his mother for holding him back from going to second grade with his classmates. He truly didn't. He liked to think that it was all because of his special green-eyed boy that he met all those years ago. Harry truly made anything and everything to Louis worth it.

As he basked in the warmth of the sun's rays, he drifted off to sleep and allowed for his dreams to relive the rest.

-

"But mommy I want to go to second grade with my friends!" Louis shouted as he clenched his tiny fists that were down near his sides. He didn't understand why she was being unfair and not letting him move on with his friends. His teachers always praised him for his pictures and worksheets being fantastic, so why would his mom do that to him? "Why can't I go with my friends?" he mumbled, the tears were beginning to make an appearance. His mom bent down to eye-level and placed a hand softly on top of one of his trembling shoulders, "Mommy thinks it would be best for you to stay in first grade for another year." she consoled, "Just think sweety, you can make new friends. Won't that be nice?" she stood back up and took his hand into hers, leading him down the familiar hallway that he roamed the year before, "I don't want to make new friends." he whimpered.

It was heartbreaking for any mother to hold their child back a year. It's not that she wanted to watch her son awkwardly walk into the classroom that he was in not even a year prior but the teachers had insisted that he didn't move forward. Louis would just struggle and have a difficult time keeping up with the curriculum. The second grade curriculum would be more intense in the sense that children would apply their newfound reading abilities in class and expand on reading elements, ideas, and grammar. Louis had trouble with meeting standards and keeping up with his classmates during group reading activities near the end of the year which had raised questions and concerned teachers and the principal greatly. They confronted his mother and suggested that it would be in her son's best interest to be held back, which was the last words she was expecting to hear. However, when she was given a table of Louis' progress and seen that there was barely any if at all, that was when she made the tough decision of holding him back and taking Louis to the doctor to ascertain a reason as to why her son was struggling.

Louis was diagnosed with a developmental reading disorder, Dyslexia, the most common learning disability. His brain didn't process information like the other kids did. It was a variation of his numbers being switched around at random, struggling to distinguish rhyming words, and a constant battle with reading sentences in their proper sequence. The way the doctor explained it was that to Louis, the letters looked to him as though they were being reflected back to him through a mirror or it was a combination of the mirrored letters and letters switching from their initial position in the word. With time, therapy, encouragement, support, and a lot of motherly love. Louis could one day read and comprehend most anything that was presented to him but until then, her son would be in the same classroom for another year getting the help that he needed.

His mother wiped away a tear that managed to escape from her eye and waved goodbye to a very reluctant Louis and barely managed to turn on her heels before padding her shoes along the carpeted pod area and making a barely audible clicking noise with her shoes that were soon against the tile of the hallways. She hoped that he would have a good day and at least make a few friends at the end, but only time would tell.

-

Meanwhile, Louis was stood in the back of the room nearest to the door as possible with small kids turning in his direction, their eyes were boring into his skin. His mom had thought it would be a good idea if he went to school a week later than everyone else so that way he'd have time to take in the idea of staying behind but it was the exact opposite to him. Louis was beyond angry, he was seething. It wasn't fair that his mom could keep him away from his friends. He didn't want to make new friends and most certainly didn't want to be the oldest and tallest kid in the room. For only being seven he had a lot on his mind and emotions that he himself couldn't understand at that point in time.

He tried to fake a smile and make a small wave at the other kids, only to receive glares and looks of confusion. Thankfully though the teacher caught on and stopped the lesson before swiftly manuvering around the tiny desks and reaching out for Louis' hand. The blue-eyed boy reluctantly reached out for her hand and barely grasped it before he was softly tugged along to the front of the classroom and near the whiteboard. He took one look at all the students before dropping his eyes to the floor and listening to the teacher clap her hands in a rhythmic motion. The children were riled up by his presence and needed to calm down before she proceeded with Louis' introduction. It only took five different clap patterns that the kids repeated after her before everyone was quiet and alert.

"Alright everyone, we have a new special friend with us today! I know it's a week into the school year but that's okay because Room 105 is very accepting of new friends right?" the teacher asked with what sounded to be a big grin plastered on her face. Louis had yet to look up, his nerves were getting the best of him. None of the kids said a word, not even a sound of confirmation. Louis felt on the verge of tears. "Okay then, on with the introduction! Darling, why don't you tell everyone your name and one thing about yourself?" the teacher, whose name was Miss Apple, such a sweet lady might he add, requested.

Louis slowly lifted his gaze from the floor and looked above the kids' heads and stared at a filing cabinet across the room. "My name is, um. My name is L-Louis and my dream is to be a singer" he mumbled quietly, he was anticipating for an assortment of responses but didn't get a single word of acknowledgement. "Well, it's very nice to meet you Louis. I do hope you reach your dream of becoming a singer," she responds with a smile, "Now, let's find you a seat shall we?" He watches as she flits her eyes across the room. He was wondering where she would place him. "Would you look at that? Every table has an opening! Is there anyone that would like Louis to sit with them?" Louis was once again close to tears when not a single kid raised their hand. Although, right before Miss Apple had another chance to open her mouth and assign Louis a spot anyways, a boy with loose brown curls and rather vivid green eyes, slowly raised his hand. Miss Apple called out his name, which was Harry, and asked what he needed.

"I'd like for Louis to sit next to me please." Louis was shocked to say the least and in that moment, he felt accepted and teeming with excitement. He didn't even bother waiting for Miss Apple to make a decision before walking quickly to Harry's table, not wanting to give Harry time to change his mind. Louis ignored the groans from the other kids at the table and pulled out the chair right next to Harry. He sat down and scooted his seat forward until he was comfortable. He then happily swung his feet underneath the desk as Miss Apple resumed her lesson on the second letter of the alphabet.

During the lesson, Louis would occasionally sneak glances at the curly haired boy. From what Louis gathered, Harry talked a little slow and seemed naturally languid in his movements. There was something magical about Harry and the way he stared at the whiteboard, transfixed on anything that had shine or color. There was also something different about him that Louis just couldn't put his finger on. He really wanted to know but his mom always said that good things come to those that wait.

Maybe Harry could be his best friend one day. That would be nice.


End file.
